An Indian family sought asylum in the US on May 20 at the Arizona-Mexico border
As a gay man living in a deeply conservative part of Punjab, India, Jashan Preet Singh’s life had been difficult for a long time.
Over the years, Singh, 34, had grown accustomed to daily discrimination in his hometown of Jalandhar — harassment and beatings dished out by his neighbors and a family that had largely turned their backs on him.
But what happened late last year was different.
“There were 15 or 20 people trying to kill me,” he told the BBC from Fresno, California. “I ran away from there and saved my life. But they cut different parts of my body.” As a result of the attack, he had a disfigured hand and a cut thumb.
Mr. Singh’s escape set him on a journey that took him through Turkey and France. It eventually led him to the US-Mexico border, almost 8,000 miles (12,800 km) away, where he went to California to start a new life in the US.
He’s not alone—for years, the arrival of Indian migrants to the U.S. has been slow but steady, reaching tens or hundreds each month.
This year, however, these indicators have increased sharply.
A record 16,290 Indian nationals have been taken into US custody at the Mexican border since the start of fiscal year 2022, which began last October. The previous high of 8,997 was recorded in 2018.
Experts point to a number of reasons for the increase, including a climate of discrimination in India, the end of pandemic-era restrictions, a perception that the current US administration is welcoming asylum seekers, and the resurgence of smuggling networks established in the past.
While some migrants come to the U.S. for economic reasons, many are fleeing persecution back home, said Deepak Ahluwalia, an immigration attorney who has represented Indian nationals in Texas and California.
The latter groups range from Muslims, Christians and “low-caste” Hindus to members of India’s LGBT community who fear violence from extremist Hindu nationalists, or supporters of separatist movements and farmers in the protest-torn Punjab region. from 2020.
Conditions for many of these groups have worsened in recent years, international observers say.
Tough decisions
For Mr. Singh, the decision to leave his homeland was not an easy one. On the same subject : Opinion An expert on political violence urgently warns: The worst is yet to come. He first considered moving to another city in India, but feared he would be treated just as badly.
“The culture is not open to gay people,” he said. “Being gay there is a big deal.”
India only decriminalized gay sex in 2018, and same-sex marriage remains illegal.
His brother soon put him in touch with a “travel agency” in India, part of an elaborate and expensive smuggling network that took him first to Turkey – where “life was very rough” – and then to France, where he considered staying for a while. but could not find a job. The whole trip took him just over six months.
Indian nationals are being processed by US immigration officials after crossing the border on September 26
Eventually, his “travel agent” arranged for him to join a small group of Indians heading to the United States, where many, including Mr. Singh, had family members.
“He demanded a lot of money from us,” Singh said. “[But] from France he took me to Cancun and from there to Mexico City and up north.”
A difficult journey
Immigrants like Mr. Singh often see the United States as the “ultimate gateway” to a better life, said lawyer Ahluwalia. See the article : Welcome to the future of European high-speed rail travel.
However, the huge distances involved make traveling to the US extremely difficult.
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Traditionally, Indian migrants arriving at the US-Mexico border use door-to-door smuggling services and travel from India to South America. They are often guided all the way and travel in small groups with their compatriots who speak the same language, rather than alone or with only family members.
These networks often originate from “travel agencies” based in India that outsource part of the travel to criminal groups with Latin American partners.
Jessica Bolter, an analyst at the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute, said the number of Indian migrants is also increasing because of a “ripple effect” that occurs when those who have used the services recommend them to their friends or acquaintances. family back to India.
“It will naturally expand and attract more migrants,” he said. “Of course, this doesn’t happen without the migrants wanting to leave in the first place.”
The experiences of Manpreet, a 20-year-old from Punjab who asked that only his first name be used, are typical of those who have taken the southern route in the past. A vocal critic of India’s ruling BJP (Bharatiya Jannata Party), he fled the country after being persecuted for his political beliefs.
“I traveled by bus from Ecuador to Colombia and from Colombia to Panama,” Manpreet recalled in an interview with the BBC from California. “From there I went by boat to Nicaragua and Guatemala and then to Mexico and entered the United States.”
Even under the guidance of experienced smugglers, the journey to the border is often fraught with danger, including kidnapping and extortion by local gangs or corrupt authorities, or extreme weather, injury and disease.
These dangers were highlighted in 2019 when a 6-year-old Indian girl from Punjab was found dead in the scorching desert near the border town of Lukeville, Arizona, a case that made headlines in India. It was later reported that he died in excess of 42 C (108 F) after his mother left him with a group of other Indians to search for water.
Indian migrants in a humanitarian camp in Panama in 2019
An uncertain fresh start
Migrants like Mr. Singh who reach the United States begin a lengthy legal process to apply for asylum. It usually begins with what U. On the same subject : US life expectancy is falling for the second year in a row.S. officials call a “credible fear interview,” in which they must convince authorities that they face persecution upon returning home.
“This first step is the most important,” explained Mr. Ahluwalia. “If he [the officer] finds that the fear is not credible, your case will never go forward. That is very disastrous.”
If an asylum officer believes these fears are credible, potential asylum seekers will likely be issued a notice to appear before an immigration judge who will consider their application.
The process is long—waiting times of several years are now the norm across the U.S.—with no promise of a positive outcome.
Mr Singh, for his part, has been in the US since late June. He is currently raising money to hire a lawyer.
While his long-term future in the U.S. is by no means guaranteed and his journey was long, it was better than the alternative, he said.
“I always fear for my life,” he added. “I’ve never felt anything like this since I’ve been here.”
